


Shadows Fall Behind Me

by fievre



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Eventual Romance, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-03 04:16:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15811170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fievre/pseuds/fievre
Summary: Emma doesn't recognize her life anymore. A twist of fate and a quest for revenge send her to Storybrooke, Maine, where she finds more than what she was looking for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpeedRacer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpeedRacer/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Shadows fall behind me [fanmix]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15781818) by [SpeedRacer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpeedRacer/pseuds/SpeedRacer). 



> Hi again! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Special thanks to my artist SpeedRacer for the amazing playlist she put together, and to my *extremely* patient and helpful beta.

Emma Swan was a woman on a mission. Well, two missions at the moment, but only she knew that. If the bored clerk who was ringing up the alarming amount of cheap junk food and the coffee she'd brought to the counter to purchase in addition to a full tank of gas was paying any attention at all, Emma probably looked like someone who was going to drive all night and who didn't want to stop again. But nobody but Emma knew why she had no intention of stopping, even if she wanted to, and although the overcast sky had that weird orange-purple tint that threatened snow.

She grabbed her bag of treats and her coffee and hurried outside to her car. A bemused service attendant was finishing up pumping her gas.

“Nice car,” he said in a flat Maine accent. “I didn't think anyone still drove these. I mean, I've never actually seen one in person.” He patted the roof of Emma's yellow VW Beetle as Emma opened the driver's side door.

Ten sarcastic retorts flitted through Emma's mind but instead, she smiled. “Thanks. You have a good night, now,” she said.

“Be careful out there,” the attendant said, looking up at the sky. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his thick canvas work coat. “Storm's comin’.”

Emma nodded at him in a quick goodbye, and got into her car and cranked the heater up. She carefully put her coffee into a dubious cup holder and turned over the motor. There was a rattle, and she saw the attendant turn from where he was retreating back into the warmth of the gas station's small store with a curious look. Emma put on her music, then pulled out and onto the road. The Bug would hold until she completed her mission and had done what she'd set out on this journey to do. She just knew it.

                                                                    

***

 

Of course, Emma wasn't always right.

She had been driving for about an hour since her stop at the gas station, and her car had decided it was done cooperating. The Bug had begun rattling, choking, and emitting all sorts of warning noises as Emma made her way up the turnpike.

“Come on, baby. Don't quit on me now.” Emma cringed and tightened her hands on her beloved Beetle's steering wheel. As if in reply, the car made a long groaning sound and Emma released a groan of her own.

“You know I don't have the money for this! Can't you just, like, hang on a bit longer? For me? After all we've been through?”

The car's motor clunked ominously and Emma sighed.

“Alright, alright. We'll stop at the next town and get you looked at, okay? We're not far.”

It was getting late, it was pretty cold, and it started becoming slightly foggy on top of that. It hadn’t started snowing, but it probably wouldn't hurt to get off the road for a bit. She pulled over onto the exit and kept going until she saw a sign.

“Storybrooke, huh? Sounds a little quaint for me, but it’s not like I have much of a choice,” she muttered.

Emma drove carefully into the town limits and leaned forward, trying to squint through the thickening fog, looking for a garage. Her favorite playlist was impatiently shut off so that she could concentrate and see better. The town only seemed to have a few long streets, and she hoped she would find an auto repair place. She grimaced as she thought of the upcoming expense. She had exactly $313 in cash left, with the bills distributed in different places. She kept some in her wallet, some shoved in the lining of her duffel bag, and some tightly folded money resided in her sock, occasionally itching her ankle as a somewhat comforting, if not annoying, reminder it was there. She had learned a long time ago to always split the money up when she was carrying cash so she wouldn't be stuck if she happened to get robbed in a shelter or found herself a victim of some other cruel twist of fate. But that $313 was her last. And another repair to her car was going to cost her dearly. Probably half, if she was lucky. Emma hated to admit it, but the money was all but gone. Gone like nearly everything else.

Besides some clothes, all Emma had was her car. The memory of all the belongings she'd been forced to sell before giving up her apartment back in Boston flashed through her mind and her jaw clenched a little. No use thinking about any of that now. The car had to be fixed. She slept in the car, ate in the car, and kept moving in the car, because if she stopped she would have to actually think about the situation at hand, and what it was she was doing about it, and she didn't want to – yet. Or rather, she didn't know _how_ to, yet.

There! She saw it, the Marine Garage, just up ahead. She was hopeful she might get some late night service due to the lights that she saw were still on inside the garage. She sagged in relief and let her guard down at exactly the wrong moment, because just then a large dog darted through the intersection ahead of her and she veered automatically to avoid hitting it, screeching her poor Bug into a black Mercedes she saw three seconds too late.

Emma was frozen, eyes wide, until she realized that she was fine, but her car and the one she had just crashed into at a moderate speed were not.

“Oh no,” she said in the sudden silence of her now-stalled car.

The other driver was climbing out of the Mercedes. Emma saw it was a woman, who slammed the door shut in a disgusted gesture and marched purposefully toward Emma. Emma was glad that at least the other driver didn't appear hurt.

Emma unbuckled her seatbelt, turned off the ignition, and climbed out of the car.

“I'm _so_ sorry,” Emma said immediately. “I'm sure you saw the dog...”

“There wasn't a dog,” the other woman snapped. The wind blew a few locks of her black hair across her face and she tossed her head back with annoyance.

“Uh, yes there was,” Emma said. “It came out of nowhere and I –”

“It was a wolf,” the other woman cut in.

“I-I'm sorry, what? Did you say a _wolf_?” Emma quickly scanned the area for the animal, before looking back at the other woman, who met her gaze squarely. Emma saw that she was stunning, in spite of the woman’s evident irritation.

“I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, but sometimes it's necessary,” the other woman replied. “Yes, you heard right. I said ‘wolf’.”

“Well, clearly you saw it better than I did,” Emma said, leaning back against her car. “You shouldn't be so irritable with me. _I_ didn't send the wolf out into the road.”

The other woman didn't answer and instead moved past Emma to inspect her Mercedes.  There was a large dent over the wheel well, and a lot of scratched paint. The woman let out a frustrated sigh and looked from Emma, to the Bug, to the window of the passenger side door, where Emma realized that some crumpled fast food wrappers would be visible.

“Do you have insurance?” the woman asked, her eyes narrowed in a speculative look.

“What makes you think I don't?” Emma straightened up to her full height.

“Call it intuition. Do you?” The woman crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, waiting.

“Okay, fine. I don't. I did, but I've been on the move and I haven't paid it up. Okay? Anything else you want to know? Blood type? Social security number? Marital status? I'm single, by the way.”

The other woman's lips twitched into a brief little smile.

“Ah, a smile. I'll take that.” Emma approached and held her hand out. “I'm Emma Swan.”

The woman looked at Emma's hand and then reached out her gloved one and gave Emma the quickest handshake she'd ever received.

“You know, it's pretty ironic,” Emma said with a sheepish smile. “The only reason I stopped here was to try to find a mechanic.”

“Well, this must be your lucky night.” The woman took a card out of her wallet and was scrawling something on it. “But this shop is closed for the night – his car is gone. He must have forgotten to turn off his lights before leaving. You'll have to try again in the morning.”

Emma resumed leaning back against her beloved Bug and waited, assuming the card was for her. “So, you must live around here? This place isn't as charming to look at as the name would suggest,” she said. “Normally, I would’ve avoided it based on the name alone. ‘Storybrooke.’ A little twee, isn't it? But it's kind of dramatic enough to live up to the name. Lone wolves loping through the streets on a foggy night, car crashes...”

“Yes.” The woman sounded disinterested as she extended a hand with the card. “Come back to the garage in the morning. I know the mechanic, Michael. Give him this card and tell him I said to bill me. He'll take care of you.”

Emma stood up straight and took the card. “That's really nice of you, Ms...”

“Mills.”

“Well, thank you. Thanks a lot. You've done me a huge favor, you don't even know. I –”

“You're welcome.” Another hair toss. “Could you back your car up? I'd like to get home.”

“Were you born this… _abrupt_ , or did it take years of practice?”

Ms. Mills sighed. “My apologies. It's been a long day. There's a motel near the waterfront if you need a place to stay. You can't miss it,” Ms. Mills said with a clear effort at patience. She had opened her car door and was halfway to getting in before she stopped and turned to talk to Emma. “And there are rooms at Granny's – she has rooms for rent – but she can't see you now. It's late, and she's closed. The motel is open.”

“Sure. Well,” Emma paused with a tentative smile. “Thanks again. And, sorry... again. Goodnight.”

“Goodbye.”

The woman got in her car and shut the door. Emma got a good look at her face from this angle, illuminated by the streetlights. It had been a while since Emma had seen a face so striking. Her dark eyes met Emma's and she raised one black eyebrow before gesturing with one hand for Emma to get moving. Emma laughed in spite of herself and walked around her car and got in, turning the even more ominous-sounding engine over and backing up carefully. Ms. Mills drove off without another glance Emma's way.

“Nice to meet you too,” Emma murmured. She took the card the woman had given her from her pocket and looked at it in the dim interior of the car. _Send the bill to my office. - RM._ Emma flipped the card over.

“Regina Mills, Mayor.” Emma read. The address was right here in Storybrooke. Well, that was fun. She had low-key insulted the town to the mayor's face. “Great.”

She wasn't going to a motel, that was for sure. She saw the police station up ahead and pulled into the parking lot across the street. She didn't know this town, but she knew that no criminal anywhere would be stupid or bold enough to bother her across the street from a police station. The Bug shuddered as the ignition shut off and Emma leaned back in her seat. She was exhausted, but the coffee and the accident had jangled her nerves.

She laughed tiredly to herself and was suddenly hit with the smell of onions and ketchup. She glanced at the crumpled wrappers and bags on her passenger seat with a wan smile. “I really am _such_ a slob,” she muttered, picking up a plastic bag from the floor and shaking it out a little to be filled. As she jammed the wrappers, an empty cup, and other little bits of trash into the bag, she thought back to the dark-haired woman, Regina, who had so coolly assessed her insurance situation at a glance. Pretty presumptuous, wasn't she? Who did she think she was anyway? Even if she _was_ right, it was rude.

Emma got out of the car and deposited the trash into a nearby can. She looked around at her surroundings. The streets were so quiet, yet she didn't feel afraid, wolf and all. She would be okay here, at least for the night. She could feel it in her bones, and her instincts hardly ever lead her wrong. Except for that one time. That one, disastrous time. The time that had changed everything and set her on this path. This broken, sleeping-in-her-car path.

_I'm_ not  _raking over all that again_ , she told herself firmly. _It happened and I'm going to fix it so that I can move forward._

It was her usual mantra. She'd repeated it to herself enough times to sort of believe it, but tonight the words rang hollow. She was no closer to fixing things than when she’d started and now the money was almost gone.

She got a thick blanket out of the trunk and got back into the car, leaning the now-clear passenger seat as far back as she could, taking her boots off, and getting situated. She made sure the car's doors were locked and burrowed under the blanket. It was a while before sleep took over, and she had nothing to do but think. Something had to change. Most of the time she could go on with what she had set out to do without thinking too much about the hows and whys, but more and more often recently she felt like she was observing her own behavior and wondering if it was worth it. And now – down to the last of her money, in a place she didn't know, with a car on the edge of a breakdown and a collision that had stopped her quite literally in her tracks – it was time to face the hard truth: she couldn't go on this way.

“So now what?” she muttered into the silence of her car, tucking her nose under the blanket to warm it.

It was a while before sleep took over with that answerless question echoing in her head. Finally, she decided that since she had to stay here while her car was fixed, she'd reassess some things and work through the questions that had been much more pervasive when she'd first left Boston than they were now. She was going to stop and breathe and figure out her next step. Once she was no longer resisting the idea, she felt settled enough to sleep, and she did, slumbering undisturbed until there was an insistent knock at her window, then another.

"Ugh." At least it was daylight. She lifted her head and peeked past her blanket. Her brow furrowed as she looked to the source of the noise.

Familiar dark eyes were peering into the window and Emma blinked twice to be sure that she wasn't still dreaming. The eyes blinked back at her.

“Definitely not a dream,” Emma grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She straightened her seat and pushed the sleeping bag off. She made a "one-second" gesture, and the woman straightened up herself, taking a step or two back from the car. She pulled a phone from her pocket and watched Emma with dark eyes as Emma ran a hand through her hair and pulled her motorcycle boots on. Emma opened the car door and got out, shivering a little in the damp.

The two women regarded each other until Emma yawned.

“Welp. You've seen me first thing in the morning, way sooner than I anticipated.”

"You slept in your car?"

They had both spoken at once, and there was an awkward pause where neither of them answered the other, nor repeated their question.

"Yes," Emma finally said. "Good morning, by the way."

"I told you there was a motel," Regina said. “And I heard that remark.”

Emma shrugged. "I was perfectly comfortable in the car. And I'm an honest woman, you should know that going forward."

“Going forward?”

“I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other.”

“Oh?” Regina tilted her head and crossed her arms. “I thought you'd be on your way as soon as your car was fixed.”

“I've been on the road a long time. I got to thinking last night that maybe all of this happened because I need to slow down. Stop. Breathe for a minute.” Emma tossed her hair and looked around. “It's really peaceful here.”

“Yes, well. As mayor, I've done my best to make sure Storybrooke stays that way. It's safe, it's clean, and I hope, welcoming.”

“Oh, I feel quite welcome, thank you. It's not every town I visit that offers so much _personal_ attention from the Mayor herself. I'd call that quite a draw for visitors, if they're anything like me.”

“Don't flatter yourself, Ms. Swan.”

Emma's lips curved into a little smile. “You remembered. And don’t pretend to be so annoyed. I'm already growing on you, I can tell.”

“I remember everyone's name, as a matter of fact. It's part of the job description – along with seeing that our public spaces are used for their proper purpose.”

“Ah, right. Is this your way of telling me I'm not allowed to sleep in my car?”

“I'd prefer it if you didn't. We have no homeless on our streets. If you need a place to stay –”

Emma raised her eyebrows. “Is this the part where you tell me that there's room at the mayoral mansion? Do go on.”

“ – I assure you that there are very affordable and comfortable accommodations in town.” Regina was fighting not to smile back and Emma saw it.

“Right, right. I'll look into it. I've got to get my car over to the mechanic anyways. Probably won't be available tonight in any case.”

“If you're hungry, Granny's diner is right around the corner,” Regina said, gesturing down the street. “Take a left.”

“Sure, yeah. I better get the car dropped off first, hm?”

Regina paused. “If you're a little short on cash, I'll treat you to breakfast,” Regina said. “If you’d like.”

“A breakfast date?” Emma smiled. “This day just keeps getting better.”

“I'm just trying to be nice.”

“Never before have I experienced such hospitality,” Emma said with a stately little bow.   “Yeah, I'll meet you in the diner. Thank you, Mayor.”

“I don't have all morning,” Regina sniffed. “I've got a job to do. But I'll be there for the next 20 minutes.” Regina walked off and Emma watched her go with a grin on her face. She liked that walk – it was the walk of a woman who was confident and sure of herself.

_How funny,_ Emma thought, _that by ending up here I ran into someone like her. What were the odds?_

The attraction was real, and Emma had to admit that she hadn't felt this way about anyone in a long time. Hell, it had been a long time since Emma had let her thoughts even drift in that direction. It was a bit unexpected, but Emma was going to roll with it and maybe even enjoy it a little. There would be time enough for everything else – the real reason she was in Maine – and all that would follow when she set foot on that path again. For now, though, she had a breakfast date with a pretty woman, and that was enough.

 


	2. Chapter 2

A few minutes later, after one very slow crawl down the street in her Bug to the mechanic, Emma found that Michael of the Marine Garage was a friendly guy. But she noticed that all of his small talk about how she'd ended up here in Storybrooke dried up immediately and the man's smile drew into a grim, firm line when Regina's name was mentioned. However, he accepted the mayor's card and instructions with no questions.

Emma used the garage’s cramped restroom to change and freshen up a bit, brushing her hair and putting it into a ponytail, washing her face with cold water, and rinsing her mouth out and chewing on a few dusty mints she found in her bag in lieu of toothpaste. She regarded her face in the restroom's mirror dubiously. It wasn't her best look but it would have to do.

With an assurance that her stuff would be safe in her car and that Michael would get started on her beloved Bug as soon as he finished working on another customer’s vehicle, Emma set off for Granny's with her hands shoved in the pockets of her leather jacket. In the daylight, she got a better look at Storybrooke. It seemed to be exceedingly clean, if a little rustic in places, and nicer than her first impression, but there was something about the people she passed by that she couldn't quite put a finger on. Her instincts were telling her that there was something more to the town than there was on the surface.

Emma dismissed this thought as she went into the diner. A merry bell tinkled overhead as she pushed the door open. It was busy inside and Emma didn't see Regina. She must have been longer than she'd thought at the mechanic's.

Emma took a seat at the counter and ordered her own breakfast: black coffee, pancakes, and bacon, and asked where the restrooms were. After she freshened up and returned to her seat, a very frazzled older woman clanked Emma's plate down in front of her and hustled back into the kitchen. Emma glanced over her shoulder and saw a lone waitress gracefully moving between the tables, but clearly struggling to keep up.

The bell rang again and Emma turned her head the other way to see Regina coming through the door. Emma gave her a little smile of recognition that wasn't returned. Regina took the seat next to Emma at the counter.

“Running late, are we?”

“Something came up,” Regina said. She drummed her fingers along the counter, seemed to have encountered something sticky, and pulled her hand away in annoyance. “The service here leaves something to be desired,” she muttered.

The older woman behind the counter – Granny herself, Emma presumed – had reappeared just in time to hear that little remark. She set Emma's cup of coffee down firmly.

“What can I get you?” she asked Regina.

“Just coffee.”

Regina turned her attention to Emma. “I want you to know that if there's anything I can do for you, I'd be happy to help.”

“Yeah? Well, thank you, Madame Mayor,” Emma said. “I appreciate it, but I think I'm going to be fine.”

“May I ask you a personal question?”

Emma smiled before she took a sip of coffee. “Of course you can. We're old friends by now.” Then, feeling eyes on her in the way that people do, Emma glanced beyond Regina and then over her shoulder, and realized several people in the diner were watching her and Regina. “Then again, there's a time and place for personal questions. Maybe this isn't that.”

Regina caught on and said by way of an explanation, “We don't get too many visitors here in Storybrooke. There's bound to be curiosity about a stranger in town.”

“Makes sense.” Emma bit into her toast and paused mid-chew as the eponymous Granny placed a cup of coffee in front of Regina with a lot more force than necessary and a stink eye to boot. Regina was oblivious and left her coffee untouched. Emma made note of this. Michael the mechanic's demeanor had changed when Regina was mentioned, and this Granny didn't seem to like her much either. A new thought occurred to Emma.

“Just out of curiosity, have any other strangers come to town recently? Anyone new?”

“Not that I know of,” Regina said. “I would have heard about it if there had been.” Emma's face must have registered something because Regina added, “Small towns, you know. Everything is news.”

“Right.”

Regina shifted on her stool. “You mentioned you might be staying. If you do, and you find that you need my assistance with anything at all while you're here, please do let me know. Ask anyone how to get to the Mayor's office. Or call. The number is easy to find.”

“Like I said, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other.” Emma looked at Regina closely. “That's what you'd like, isn't it? And why you're being so nice to me?”

Regina pressed her lips together. “It isn't like  _ that. _ I  _ am _ the mayor, and the accident wasn't your fault. I'd be happy to pay for your room, should you need to stay another night. Michael Tillman isn't the fastest worker, but he's all we've got, unfortunately.”

A small, balding, scruffy man with a newspaper on Emma's other side seemed to overhear this and grunted, flipping his folded paper over.

“If you're in some kind of trouble,” Regina plowed on, “I'm sure I can –”

“I appreciate the offer, but you've done enough for me,” Emma said, cutting her off smoothly. “It’s really nice of you to pay for my car repair, though. By the by, are you always so generous to people passing through your town? Or just the ones who spot wolves?”

Regina didn't get to answer that because the waitress Emma had noticed earlier had dropped something behind them, sending food flying. Regina flicked a fragment of scrambled eggs off her coat with disgust.

“I've got to get going,” she said to Emma, glancing at her watch and ignoring the waitress's apologies. “Enjoy the rest of your stay in Storybrooke.”

Emma blinked. Regina was gone that fast, but she'd left money on the counter, presumably to cover Emma's meal. Although Regina had said that she would buy breakfast, it still somehow annoyed Emma. Even if she was a bit cash-strapped right now, she was no one's charity case. She'd make her own money, and an opportunity was right under her nose.

 

***

 

Emma bided her time until the morning rush was over, lingering over her coffee through a refill and leafing through the paper her neighbor at the counter had left behind. When no one was left but Emma, she caught Granny's eye as the woman was spraying down the counter and wiping it off.

“I bet you're glad things have quieted down a little. At least until the lunch rush, I'm guessing.”

Granny gave a short nod and looked Emma over.

“I'm new in town.”

“Obviously,” Granny said. “People rarely come here. And when they do, it's usually someone who's lost their way.”

Emma smiled. “In a sense, some would tell you that's exactly why I'm here. I actually had some car trouble last night. I ran into the Mayor. My car's being repaired.”

“Ah.” Granny stopped swiping at the counter and rested a fist on her hip. “He'll get you fixed up, no doubt about that. Might take you a day or two.”

“So I've been told. It was mentioned that you rent rooms. Do you have any available now?”

“I do at that.”

They talked about pricing and Emma tried not to wince. She didn't have the money for it, but she hoped the answer to the next question she had for Granny would fix that.

“I couldn't help but notice that things were really busy in here,” Emma said. “I'll be honest – I need some cash. I'd be willing to stay on for a while and help out around here. You see, I've been on the road for some time and, well...”

Granny gave her an appraising look and crossed her arms. “You in trouble with the law?”

“No,” Emma said honestly. “I'm just passing through. I need money, and you need help. I can wait tables, wash dishes, and whatever else you need me to do. I'm not the world's greatest cook, but I can handle a few basic things in the kitchen.”

Granny seemed to be mulling the offer over.

“Look... if you say no, I'm probably going to end up sleeping outside to save money. I usually sleep in my car,” Emma said with a little smile. “I don't mind doing it, but hearing it out loud is... well. Something I'd like to never have to say to anyone again. What do you say?”

 

***

 

Regina sat behind her well-ordered desk and uncharacteristically flipped her gold pen between her fingers. She wasn't a fidgeter by nature, but she couldn't seem to stop this morning. She felt like she was waiting for something.

_ You know what you're waiting for,  _ she thought. She was waiting to see if Emma would call, or perhaps turn up at her office, which was ridiculous. When Regina had offered her help that morning in the diner she’d noticed that Emma had gotten a little suspicious, although she’d remained friendly. It didn't come as a shock to Regina that her well-meaning attempt to do something for someone else hadn't been received in the way she’d intended. In most conversations, she said something or other wrong.

It had been like that for a long time, and Regina didn't think it was her fault, really. She told herself that people just didn't  _ get _ her, and she didn't get them, and that was just how it was. People respected her even if they didn't much like her, and that suited her just fine. She supposed that as long as she was doing well enough in the popularity stakes to keep being elected mayor, it would do.

It annoyed her, though, that when she was trying to do something nice for this woman, Regina had been brushed off. She'd have liked to forget the whole thing, but she kept hoping Emma would see the error of her ways and come to Regina after all, and perhaps even apologize for rejecting Regina's offer to help. And, Regina had to admit, she was curious about Emma. Storybrooke hadn't had a new face within the town limits in months. And a face like Emma's was definitely one to make note of. She was beautiful, even at 8 in the morning, freshly awake from sleeping in a car.

_ In her  _ car, Regina thought. And last night Emma had said the car needed repairs  _ before _ the accident. Well, Regina was paying for those repairs. Perhaps that was good deed enough. It's not like Regina could fix the world's problems.  _ Let her get her car fixed and go _ , Regina thought for the third time that day.  _ It's no concern of mine. _

Regina welcomed the ringing of her mobile phone as a distraction to her repetitive thoughts.

“Hello?”

“Hello, sister,” a voice purred. “How are you?”

Regina held back a sigh. “Zelena. What can I do for you?”

“What? Can't one call their little sister and see how she's getting along?”

“I'm sure  _ some _ sisters do such checking up, but we are not those sisters,” Regina said bluntly. She pressed her lips together. “How are you, anyway?”

“Fine, darling, just fine. I hate to interrupt you – I know you're  _ terribly _ busy mayoring that fishy little hamlet you call home – but I did have something to ask you about.”

And there it was. “What is it now?” Regina sighed.

“Well... I ran into some unexpected expenses and I'm a little short,” Zelena said breezily.

“’Unexpected expenses’,” Regina repeated. “Such as?”

“I'm  _ traveling _ , Regina. Things come up. Just float me a little so I can get by until my next trust payment comes in.”

“Zelena, you really ought to know how to manage your finances better by now. Aren't you embarrassed to be coming to me for money?”

“Not at all,” Zelena was blithe. “Why would I be? Anyway, we both know you've got it and will never miss it. It's not like you ever go anywhere or have any fun.”

That comment stung and Regina tried not to bristle. No one knew which buttons to push like Zelena did. It was true – Regina didn’t have the most exciting life, but she was fine with that, if not particularly happy in general.

“Have you even gone anywhere but to your office in the past month? Six months? Met up with a friend for coffee? Had a date? Any human interactions to speak of that didn’t somehow involve the so-called business of running that place?” Zelena asked, warming to the subject and firing away at Regina’s soft spots.

Regina resented having such a harsh spotlight shone on her obviously lonely private life. “You needn’t get personal, Zelena. You wanting money has nothing to do with my social life.”

Zelena’s tone softened as she continued. “It’s what they call ‘tough love,’ darling. You  _ need _ someone to speak these truths to you. I’m trying to help you... in my own way. And honestly, I don’t know how else to get through to you. You’re smart, you’re beautiful, you have a lot to offer. Much more than you’re willing to share with anyone. You’ve got to at least try.”

Knowing that Zelena meant well didn’t make Regina feel any better, and she let her irritation show. It was petty, but she didn’t care. "Tough love? It's true that I rarely talk to anyone outside of business, and that includes you. You only ever call me when you want something. So how much will it take to put an end to these invasive questions of yours? I have actual things to do at my ‘so-called’ job."

“I know, you’d far rather accuse me than answer any of those questions. Just keep the money. But you could at least think about what I’ve said.” There was a beep on the other end of the line and Regina laid down her phone. 

She sighed and logged in to her bank account and transferred money to Zelena, knowing that her sister wouldn't have asked if it wasn’t necessary. Regina hoped that Zelena would start being more responsible, but she knew better. Deep down, she also knew that Zelena had been right anyway; Regina’s social life was practically non-existent, but a lifetime of learning to only depend on herself had yielded that result.

Regina  _ was _ very careful with her money, regardless of the abundance she had, and preferred to save it up against some unseen disaster. One never knew what was right around the corner. War, the zombie apocalypse, or...

“Wolves at the door.” Regina smiled to herself. That wolf appearance last night hadn't been the first in town, but it was the first time one had caused an accident. That was why she had been willing to just pay for the damage to Emma's car. She felt somewhat responsible as the mayor, although she supposed that was kind of silly. Storybrooke was surrounded by dense woods on three sides. What could she do about wild animals? Wolf patrols? City-sanctioned hunting packs? A bimonthly wolf festival where they raised money in case of any further accidents?

Regina dropped her pen on her desk. She wasn't getting anything done, and her distracted mind was only coming up with silly ideas. She got up from her desk and wandered over to her office window.

To her surprise she saw Emma, walking down the street like she had lived there all her life. She had a big duffle bag on her left shoulder, a small suitcase, and some other bundled things under her right arm. Regina surmised she must have gone back to the garage to get her things from her car and was taking them to Granny's. She must have rented a room after all.

Regina watched her walk until she was out of sight. She checked the clock. Midmorning, and way too early to go back to Granny's. She could stop by at lunchtime, though. Since it was likely Emma had taken a room there, she would probably eat there too, right?

_ You're being ridiculous. _ A sensible thought cut through the hypothetical scenarios her mind was beginning to form of what she would possibly have to say to Emma if she found her sitting alone at Granny's counter.  _ You know nothing about her. Get back to work. _

So Regina tried to focus on the business of the day – putting together a proposal to deal with intrusive wildlife within Storybrooke's borders – but it was pretty useless. Her mind wandered all over the place, not just to the attractive stranger in town, but to some self-examination as to why simply seeing a new face had sent her into a mini-tailspin. Was Zelena right? Was she really  _ that _ lonely?

Of all the questions Regina had thought over so far, it was the one with the most obvious answer.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma's first shift at the diner was a fun one. It had been some time, almost half a year, since Emma had held down a job, and it felt good to be working again in any capacity. She had never waitressed before, but she picked it up quickly. She kept having to stop in her rounds or pause before taking an order to be introduced to people. Everyone she met had questions and eventually, she gave up trying to explain that she was only passing through and let people think she had come to Storybrooke to settle down. It was easier that way, which enabled her to get on with her work faster. People were so curious that they bordered on nosy, and several times she was stopped between tables to be asked follow up questions, like where she had come from and what had brought her to town. Emma decided to be less annoyed by this than she had a right to be, kept a smile on her face and collected her tips with satisfaction. A funny thing about Storybrooke – there were so many distinctive people who patronized the diner that it was easy to place names to faces. They all seemed familiar, somehow, but she knew that was impossible. It was an odd feeling that worried the back of her mind and made her even more alert than she normally would have been.

Emma was pretty observant by nature, and she began picking up details and nuances of the diner’s patrons easily. She also had an excellent memory and knew which order went where. Service was quick and efficient, despite her inexperience. She could tell that Granny, and her granddaughter Ruby, the other waitress, were both pleased. Emma got along with both of them and she appreciated that they didn't pepper her with questions like the customers had.

The hours passed quickly and evening fell. After a much-needed break and a quick bite to eat in the back of the diner, she made her way out front and was surprised to see Regina sitting at the counter. Emma tightened the strings of her apron and took her order pad out of her pocket. She approached Regina with a smile.

“Can I take your order, Madame Mayor?”

Regina looked shocked to see her. “You're... working here?”

“Yep!” Emma said cheerfully.

“You move fast, don't you?”

“They say I'm a woman of action. I do what I set out to do. And what about you, Madame Mayor? Do you go after what you want?”

Regina tilted her head with a half smile. “Does this approach usually work for you?”

“Eh. The methods might change but the goal really doesn’t.”

“You know, last night it didn't seem like you were too keen on Storybrooke. Quick change of heart?”

“You could say that,” Emma replied. “The only good thing about the way I've been living is that I have the freedom to change my plans. I needed a break and Storybrooke is interesting to me. It's different. There's something about this place...” Emma trailed off and shrugged. “Anyway...”

Regina's dark eyes had been watching Emma as she spoke. “I want to apologize about this morning. I didn't mean to overstep and I hope I didn't offend you. It's been bothering me all day, in truth.”

“Ah, forget it,” Emma said, and she meant it. “You meant well. So, what can I get for you?”

At that moment two couples bustled into the entrance, chatting away. Regina looked their way and picked up her bag. “I just remembered I have another appointment,” she said, delivering the clunkiest fib Emma had heard in a while. “Perhaps, I’ll see you another time, Ms. Swan,” Regina said. “Good evening.”

“Bye, Mayor,” Emma called to Regina's quickly departing back. She looked over at the couples who were taking their coats and scarves off and getting into one of the diner's booths. She saw one guy watch the mayor depart with a roll of his eyes.

Emma went over to the group and took their orders. When she went to the kitchen, Granny stopped her for a moment.

“I saw you talking to the mayor again,” she said.

“Then I guess you also saw her leave before she actually ordered anything,” Emma said wryly.

“I reckon she just came in to talk to you. This ain't one of her usual stops,” Granny eyed her for a moment. “I saw you flirting, too. You better beware of that one.”

“It's the ones I should be wary of that I’m not. But why do you say that? She seems nice enough, even if she's not the warmest personality I ever met.”

Granny made a dismissive noise. “Not the warmest? That one is cold as ice. Nobody in this town can stand her, not really.”

“Seems a little harsh, Granny.” Emma was intrigued by this new tidbit. “If nobody can stand her, then how on earth did she get elected Mayor?”

Granny shrugged. “Ran practically unopposed. Got a lot of money in her family or somethin’. People are afraid of her.”

“Do they have a _reason_ to be afraid, though?”

Granny leaned against the counter and released her breath in a huff. “I can't wait to go put my feet up,” she murmured to herself. To Emma, she said, “If it was up to that woman, I wouldn't even have this place. She raised the property taxes for all the businesses, and then when I was a little late paying, she wouldn’t let up and leaned the bank to foreclose. I managed to get the money on time to prevent it, but I'll never forget what she did.”

Emma's eyes widened. “Wow. I'm... sorry? I had no idea.”

“'Course you didn't. You just got here yesterday.” Granny rubbed at her back with one hand and continued, “The one workin' on your car has a story to tell about the Mayor himself.”

“I thought he acted strangely when I told him Regina sent me. He got real quiet, real fast. What's his deal? You might as well tell me.”

Granny grimaced. “The mayor tried to get his kids sent away. Child Protection Services or whatever it's called. And she had no business doin' it, either. Michael Tillman is a good man and a good father. Sure, he works hard as a single parent. Don't mean his kids were _neglected_ like the mayor claimed.”

Emma cringed. “That's awful. Is it possible it was all a big mistake on Regina's part?”

Shaking her head, Granny said, “I doubt it. There's somethin’ wrong with that woman, she even hates _dogs_. Remember that redheaded guy you served dinner to? Kinda twitchy, but nice?”

“I remember. His name was – ”

“Archie. Well, he has a dog, a cute Dalmatian, and when it was a pup and still bein’ trained, it got off its leash and ran up to the mayor all excited like. Muddy paws on her pantsuit? Oh no, the mayor wasn't havin’ _that_. She got a law passed the very next day that any dog without a leash on public property would be subject to capture and execution.”

“Okay now, that's _way_ over the top,” Emma said. “This is so unreal. I thought she seemed nice – a little uptight, but nothing like _this._ ”

“You two can keep makin’ googly eyes at each other if you want. I'm just tellin’ you what I know,” Granny said. “Ask anyone in town about her and you'll get an earful. She leans on the poor to get their debts paid. Anything people come up with to _do_ in this town that might be considered fun, she does her best to put the nix on it – just ‘cause _she_ doesn't like it. And all the changes she wants to make to the town always hurt us workin’ people and the small business owners, and _never_ her ritzy neighbors!”

Emma let out a low whistle. “It's a lot to take in, that's for sure. By the way, how did you manage to get the money to save this place?”

“Gold,” Granny said succinctly.

“Like, gold coins? Gold bars?”

“Gold, the man Gold. The only one in town with as much money as the mayor. He specializes in loans, but nobody wants to owe him anything. He collects – in one way or another.”

“Just like something out of an old Frank Capra movie,” Emma mused. “Or a story _book_ , if you will.”

Granny didn't laugh at Emma's cheap joke.

“You just be careful of the mayor, and Gold, too.”

Emma put her hands up. “I'm just trying to make some money here before I hit the road again. But message received, Granny. And thank you.”

“For what?”

Emma shrugged, the other woman's brusque manner making her feel suddenly shy. “For giving me a chance and looking out for me.”

“We all need to look out for each other in this life,” Granny said. “Carry each other's burdens. That's what makes life bearable.” The older woman yawned. “Why don't you kick off for the night and go get settled in your room? I'll see you in the morning.”

“Thanks, Granny.” Emma pulled off her apron strings with a grateful smile. “One thing, though. I think there may be a little more to the story of the Mayor than you know. Nobody is all _one_ thing.”

Emma was rewarded for her open-mindedness with a grunt from Granny. Emma knew the conversation had reached its end.

As she turned to walk away, Granny called out to her. “Hey, Swan.”

“Yeah?”

“You did a good job today. Glad you're here.”

Emma grinned. “Glad to be here. You don't know how glad.”

 

***

 

That night Emma took the longest, hottest shower of her life and dropped gratefully into bed. A lot could happen in twenty-four hours. She yawned and turned out the bedside lamp. Moonlight peeked through the window. She hadn't been this exhausted in a long time, but this was the _good_ kind of tired.

Her thoughts strayed back to Regina. The person Granny had described was very at odds with the woman Emma had experienced. Regina was a little prickly and her social skills weren't what one would expect in a mayor, but Emma didn't think she was cruel. Something was off there, and if the rest of the town felt the same way that Granny did, it was probably very lonely for Regina in Storybrooke. It struck Emma as a sad state of affairs. _Well anywa_ y, she thought, I _like the mayor, even if nobody else in this odd little town does_. She yawned and snuggled down into her pillow and slept more peacefully than she had in some time.

 

  ***

 

Regina was in a less placid state. After basically running out of the restaurant after checking up on Emma and finding her working in that greasy spoon, Regina felt kind of silly. Between the constant noise of the place and the less than tasty food, she had no desire to actually order anything, so she'd just made up an excuse and fled into the relative quiet outside. Emma probably thought she was strange. _Well, maybe I am_ . As she walked home in the cold, she mentally kicked herself for letting one person dominate her thoughts all day. She'd been utterly useless at work and was embarrassed that by going back to the diner she'd only encouraged more of Emma's shameless flirting. Not that she minded _that_ very much, but she didn't want to come across as desperate. She supposed she just wanted to be sure that Emma was sorted away for the night, which was just ridiculous on its face. She barely knew the woman. Emma could surely handle herself just fine.

This and other mental grumblings almost distracted Regina too much to notice Rupert Gold exiting his antique shop. He looked around and took off at a faster clip than Regina was accustomed to seeing him move, swinging his walking stick with a spring in his step. Regina slowed her pace until he turned onto a street in another direction from where she was headed. She didn't want to catch up to him, or worse, have him notice her, and then have to speak to him. When she passed by the front of his shop, she glanced toward the darkened windows and thought she saw movement inside. She stopped and squinted into the glass but there was nothing there. It must have been a trick of her imagination. She began to walk faster, eager to get out of the cold and get home.

Regina ate a quiet dinner when she arrived and went to bed early. She was attempting to read when she heard a wolf howl in the distance. The sound was so mournful it sent a chill down her spine. She shut off the light and willed sleep to come, and when it did she dreamed of running through the woods, away from something chasing her. She was looking behind her as she crashed and stumbled between trees – but when she finally faced forward again, a wolf with malevolent yellow eyes was in front of her, snarling with bared teeth.

It didn't make for a very pleasant morning when she awoke with a pounding heart and jittery nerves.

She went about getting ready for her day and decided she was going to give one Emma Swan a wide berth today. If she ran into her, fine, but Regina wasn't going to seek her out, despite the part of herself that was more happy about Emma staying in town than she was willing to admit.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Emma took to her new routine better than she thought she would. She had always been a resilient woman who was capable of dealing with circumstances that changed on a dime, but she appreciated the simpler pace of life in Storybrooke. While seeing Regina around town was a welcome perk, Emma couldn't pinpoint what else it was that made her want to stay put.

The people of Storybrooke were warm and pleasant, her tips excellent, and Emma had gotten fairly friendly with Ruby. She was different, fun to hang around,  and they’d been getting to know each other over beers and games of pool at The Rabbit Hole, the busiest of the few bars in town. The girl didn't ask any questions about Emma's past, ever, and Emma returned the favor. All the while, Emma kept cataloging information about the townspeople without trying. In her other life, it was second nature to observe people and remember the pertinent facts about them. As she talked to people and Emma explained as much as she was going to about the circumstances that had kept her in Storybrooke, she always ended up mentioning Mayor Mills and gauged the varying reactions that she got. Some people tensed up and cut the conversation short, some people made a sarcastic comment, but everyone had a reaction. Emma found it fascinating – she was pretty sure she couldn't have named the mayor of Boston once in all the years she had lived there. Of course, the dynamics of a small town would be different from a major city, but it seemed everyone she came in contact with had an issue with Regina Mills.

On her sixth day in town, Emma was on her way out of the diner after her morning shift when she ran right into Regina, who was headed up the walkway.

“Hiya, Madame Mayor,” she said cheerfully.

“Hello,” Regina adjusted her scarf. “Going somewhere?”

“My shift is over until tonight. I was going to have a wander around.”

“Oh.” Regina cleared her throat. “I was actually coming to see you.”

Emma grinned. “Missed me, huh?”

Regina's lips twitched. “I admit I was curious about how you've been getting on.”

“You _could_ just ask me out, you know.”

“Or,” Regina countered with a speculative look, “ _You_ could ask _me_.”

Emma laughed. “Alright. Let's get dinner this week, then. When are you free?”

“My evening schedule is open,” Regina said dryly. “I assume yours is the less flexible one.”

“True. But I have tomorrow evening off. You pick the place. I haven't eaten anywhere else but Granny's since I got here.”

“Well, _that_ won't do at all, Miss Swan. I have just the place in mind. I’ll take care of the reservations.”

“Awesome. So is this what I can expect from you if we start to date? You taking charge?”

“When it comes to choosing the food, I’d say yes.”

“Good! I can never decide where I want to eat anyways. Walk with me?” Emma asked, descending the stairs to the sidewalk.

“Alright.”

Regina fell into step beside Emma. “I was thinking we would go to the Red Room. It's the nicest restaurant in town.”

“It's a date,” Emma said.

“You'll have to pick me up,” Regina said. “Or I could just meet you there. My car's not out of the garage yet.”

“Really? Mine was ready two days ago.”

“Funny that he got your Beetle repaired so quickly but he can't get the dent out of my fender. He's being as slow as possible to inconvenience me, I'm sure,” Regina said.

Emma put her hands in her pockets to spare them from the cold. “Oh, come on, I doubt that. There's probably another explanation.”

“The man hates me,” Regina said simply. “If he didn’t have the only service garage in town, I'd have gone elsewhere. The perils of small-town living,” she sighed. “But at least he behaved like a professional toward you.”

Emma smirked. “I still can’t figure out how, with all these people who supposedly hate you, you keep winning your office. Are you stuffing the ballot boxes or something?” Her voice had a mischievous tone that Regina somehow completely missed.

“Not at all. And I resent the implication that – ”

“Hey,” Emma said, slowing to a stop and touching Regina's arm for a moment. “It was a joke. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just like to try to tease a smile out of you.”

Regina's eyes were unreadable.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said. “Forgive me?”

“Nevermind all that,” Regina said, starting to walk again. Together, they walked in silence for a bit.

“I suppose you’ve heard some things about me,” Regina said when she finally spoke again. “I can assure you, I’m not the monster these people – _some_ of these people – make me out to be.”

“What is it then?” Emma asked, with honest curiosity. “And you’re right, I have heard things, and some of it sounds… well, pretty harsh if true.”

Regina gave a short and bitter laugh. “Ridiculous is what it is. When I decided to run for mayor after my predecessor retired, Storybrooke was a mess, from the budget to the sanitation department. I made a lot of changes to make things more efficient and improve the quality of life for everyone. Yes, the taxes went up, for the first time in over a decade, but not a penny of the raise was wasted. The way people _complain_ about it, you’d think I was the one who had run the town into the ground in the first place. I hate to pat myself on the back, but I was the one who _saved_ it.”

Emma let out a low whistle. “Well now I know why you were re-elected,” Emma said. “You seem to be good at what you do, and apparently quite passionate about it.”

Regina smiled. “Yes, well…” Her lovely face grew serious again. “What else did you hear about me? Just out of curiosity?”

Emma released a breath and kept her tone light. “Just that you tried to separate a father from his children, that you tried to get Granny’s shut down, and threatened to have the cutest dog in town put down for messing up your pantsuit. Nothing much.”

“What?” Regina cried, flabbergasted. “They said I tried to kill someone's dog?”

Emma related the rumor she’d heard from Granny about poor Pongo’s dirty paws and the next-day edict that seemed to suggest if it happened again the Dalmatian was done for, headed to a shelter where a grim fate would await him.

“But the only shelter in town is a no-kill shelter! This is absurd!”

Emma tilted her head back and laughed and after a confused moment, Regina had to laugh with her.

“I’m sorry,” Emma said to Regina. “I know it’s not funny, but it is.”

Regina shook her head in amazement. “They really don’t get me at all, do they?”

"So... what _is_ the deal with Michael? Is it true about his kids?"

"It's not like I woke up one day and thought it would be a fun way to pass an afternoon," Regina said wryly. "One of my advisors passed on some troubling information about his children running wild in town, shoplifting candy bars, vandalizing, and the like, so I authorized the town's child psychologist to do a home visit and the Sheriff told Michael to get his kids under control. The children's public misbehavior stopped but Michael hasn't forgiven me yet – or stopped spreading rumors to paint himself as the victim, apparently."

"I see," Emma nodded. “Most of the town seems to come through Granny’s diner. Maybe if you hung out there more often… you know, chatted with the townsfolk…” Emma’s voice trailed off as Regina blinked at her. “Well, would it hurt? If people got to know you they’d be less likely to buy into silly rumors.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“And,” Emma said brightly, “Hanging out at Granny’s has an added bonus: me.”

Regina pursed her lips but Emma could see she was amused.

“You have a way with words, Emma.”

“So I’ve been told.” Emma felt a private sense of satisfaction that Regina had finally called her by her first name. “Let’s sit over there. We can watch the tide come in.”

They made their way over to a bench near a large stone monument to a local military hero from the first world war. The statue was big enough to block the wind, which was picking up. They sat down and Emma looked out over the turbulent, choppy water.

“It’s not that easy for me,” Regina said. She turned slightly to face Emma. “Talking to people, I mean. Mindless chatter. I’m not… well-suited to it.”

“I don’t buy it,” Emma said with a smile. “You talk just fine from where I’m sitting.”

“You’re different.” Having said this, Emma noticed Regina’s cheeks slightly pinking.

“Is that your way of saying that you’re glad I’m around?”

“You have the most annoying way of getting these admissions out of me. But yes. I am glad.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” Emma said, stretching her long legs out in front of her and leaning back on the bench. “And to think, you tried to run me out of town, my first morning here.”

“I did not!” Regina said, with that flustered way she had when Emma teased her. Emma found it adorable and giggled to herself. She should probably stop messing with this poor woman, she thought. Eventually.

“You can ask me, you know,” Emma said suddenly.

“Ask you what?”

“The million dollar question. Why I’m here.”

“Well,” Regina said with measured tones. “I know _part_ of why you’re here. Car trouble.”

“Mmhmm.”

“And the rest isn’t really any of my business. So I don’t need to ask.”

“I’ll tell you anyway,” Emma said. “And it’s only natural to be curious.”

“I’m not going to deny that I am,” Regina confessed. “But don’t feel like you have to say anything. Unless and until you want to.”

Emma smiled at this. Regina was an understanding person. She felt surer than ever that the people of Storybrooke were dead wrong about the mayor. They had to be.

“I do want to.” Emma shoved her hands deeper into her jacket pockets and took a deep breath. “I've been looking for someone,” she said simply. “He betrayed me. Twice.” Emma shook her head ruefully. “He did it once, I let him back in, and he did it again. But this second time is the last time.”

“Oh. I'm so sorry.”

Emma shrugged. “Happens every day.”

“And...  forgive me for asking, but… were you involved with this man?”

“Once, a long time ago. He was in trouble and he ran out on me and left me holding the bag. Literally. When he came back, it wasn't so much picking up where we left off, but me taking him in because he had nowhere else to go. Or so he said. It's just that I knew him so well, it was hard to hate him for the way things had ended between us. Neither of us had a family... we just had each other in the beginning. I knew how hard that was to bear, and I couldn't turn my back on him, even though I had every reason to.” Emma sighed. “He, uh... well, he cleaned out my savings. Left me with nothing but what was in my checking account, which wasn’t much, and then he disappeared.”

Regina's face registered her dismay. She instinctively reached out to Emma and put a hand on her shoulder. “How horrible for you. I can't even imagine.”

“Believe me, you don't want to. It was bad, really, really bad. I was crushed at first. And then I was livid. I was determined that he was going to pay, and I would stop him from doing this to anyone else.” Emma paused. “I knew what he was like,” she continued. “He pulled off so many different scams in all the time I knew him. I helped him a few times before I got my life together. I’m not proud of it. I guess in a way, it was justice. A taste of the medicine I had helped him dole out to other people.” She glanced at Regina to see how she was digesting this revelation. “I was young and stupid, and I went to juvie for it.” Emma explained. “I wasn't thinking... growing up without a family, I sort of felt like the world owed me something. Like I said, I'm not proud of it.”

“I understand,” Regina said, her voice soft. Emma searched her eyes and felt that Regina really _did_ understand. She could see it in her expression.

Emma took a deep breath. “The worst part of it all was that I should have known better. And if I hadn't given him a second chance, it wouldn't have happened. He didn't really deserve a second chance anyway. People rarely do. But forgiveness is about us, not the person who wronged us.”

“I can agree with that,” Regina murmured.

“The sad thing is, when we were just a couple of street kids helping each other survive, we always talked about how it would be later on. Our ‘somedays’. The jobs we'd have, and where we'd go, and the house we'd live in... I had finally started making sense of my life – I had a job I was good at, I was making friends, I had a cool apartment in Boston. And then he came in and blew that all to hell.” Emma’s tone was bitter as she tossed her hair in annoyance. “I became _obsessed_ with tracking him down and getting back what was mine. It got in the way of work, and everything else. I remembered that he'd said something about finding his estranged father, living on the New England coast somewhere. So I've been on his trail, working my way north, searching for him.”

“What's his name?”

“Neal Cassidy. Sometimes he uses an alias, Nick Kennedy.”

Regina shook her head. “We've got no Cassidys or Kennedys in town.”

“I figured. I thought about asking around about him or anyone who might fit the vague description of his dad, but I didn't want any more questions. When you ask questions and don't give any answers yourself, you just raise suspicion. Anyway, being here, I've felt like I could set all of this down for a while. It feels good to just let it go... for the time being.”

They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute or two before Emma said, “Well there it is, that's my story. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else.”

“Not likely. As you may have noticed, I don’t really have anyone to tell,” Regina said with a touch of humor.

“Now that's a story _I'd_ like to hear. How you became mayor of a town you don’t seem to have many ties to.”

Regina looked surprised. “What makes you think I don't?”

“The way you talk about the people... and the way they talk about you. So it’s not _them_ that keep you here. And if it’s not them, what is it?”

“I guess I just saw the potential in this place. We first came through here when I was a child – some family vacation or other – and I really liked it. My father liked it, too. He bought a summer house here, against my mother’s wishes,” Regina said with a little smile. “There came a time in my life when I decided I needed more of the feeling this place had always evoked in me, so I came here to stay.”

“Wow,” Emma said, a little amused.

“What?” Regina asked with a defensive tone.

“It’s just that we’ve had two _very_ different lives up to this point.”

“Well,” Regina said, her eyes straying back toward the water. “We may have more in common than you think.”

Emma shifted her position on the bench so she could get a better look at Regina. “Fair enough. But you didn’t answer my original question. Since we're sharing secrets and all. Why did you want to be Mayor?”

“It's just something I decided to do. My mother wasn't big on authority figures, but she wanted me to be one, just so I'd be less at the mercy of other people than she was. It's complicated.”

“Sounds like it,” Emma shifted on the bench. “Do you enjoy it?”

“I think I do a good job for the people. If they don’t see it now, I’m confident that one day they will. I know that my policies are sound.”

“Well,” Emma hedged. “Maybe they will.” She didn’t think it was likely it would happen any time soon, but she didn’t have the heart to say so. Regina looked quite sad, sitting there – vulnerable, even, and Emma's heart went out to her. She tried to think of a tactful way to bring up Regina's rather brusque mannerisms with other people, which Emma herself had experienced a few times. The words didn't come, so she tried another question.

“The other day you dropped by the diner and left as soon as two couples came in. Do you remember that?”

Regina frowned. “Yes, I guess so. Why?”

“I was just wondering what that was all about.”

Regina took a deep breath and smirked a little. “You’ve gathered that I don’t leave the greatest impression on people.”

Emma feigned shock. “You don’t say!”

That got Regina to laugh a little. “Part of being the mayor is making the tough calls to keep the town going. I'm willing to be the one they blame. That couple that I was trying to avoid, for example... they were denied an outdoor permit for their wedding and reception. Mean old mayor, right? Well, they applied far too close to when they wanted the wedding to take place – it has to be a minimum of two weeks before an event – and there wasn’t enough time to get things in order. There’s staff scheduling to consider for cleanup, for example, as well as posting notices for the necessary traffic diversion – ” Regina stopped herself. “Well, you get the idea. It’s my job to think about those things. It seems nobody considers logistics in event planning, even in a small town. Anyhow, it rained that day. So it turns out I did them a favor.”

Emma laughed. “I suppose they don't see it that way.”

“Oh, he’s been quite snide and giving me the evil eye ever since. Let's just say there are a lot of people determined to misunderstand me.”

“Well, I'm not one of them. I get it. Believe me, I –” Emma's voice broke off as she saw a man approaching in a leather jacket with a gleaming gold badge attached, walking determinedly towards them.

Regina followed Emma's attention and turned to look over her shoulder. Seeing the man, she cast a nervous glance at Emma and stood up.

“Sheriff Humbert,” Regina greeted the man, resuming her official stance and mannerisms. “Did you need to speak with me?”

“Yes, actually.” He drew himself up. “I need you to come with me to the station.”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

The sheriff glanced at Emma and turned back to Regina. “I'd hoped I would find you alone, rather than do this in front of an audience.”

“Speak plainly, please,” Regina said with a hint of irritation. “What's going on?”

“I've come to place you under arrest.”


	5. Chapter 5

Regina propped her head in her hands and tried to make sense of what Sheriff Graham Humbert was saying. She took a deep breath and cut him off mid-sentence.

“So I'm not _actually_ under arrest, is that what you're saying?”

“Well, no. I just need to ask you some questions.”

“Is there any particular reason why you said, 'You're under arrest,' and led me away, putting me in the back of your police car? Couldn't you have just _asked_ me to come to the station?” _And did you_ have  _to do it in front of Emma?_ Regina didn't ask that part, but she thought it. She'd been thinking about it all the way to the station, in fact.

“I, uh, well – I've never actually arrested anyone, you know. It just sort of popped out.”

Regina pressed her lips together rather than call the sheriff an imbecile like she wanted to. That wouldn't do at all. “Fine, whatever,” she waved a hand. “What's going on, then?”

The sheriff cleared his throat. “There are some serious accusations that have been made against you, Mayor. I've been trying to explain it but I feel like you're not hearing me. I'm sorry that I interrupted your date – ”

“It wasn't a date,” Regina snapped. “Can you please get to the point already?”

“You're not under arrest yet, but you _may_ be. How's that for the point?”

Regina leaned back in her seat and smiled coldly at the sheriff. “I doubt that  _very_ much. Go on, then. What are these accusations?”

Graham dropped his eyes and rearranged some papers across the table. “You made a major withdrawal from Storybrooke bank... let's see, ten days ago, correct?”

“What? No! And what the hell are you doing with my bank records?”

Graham stayed silent, ignoring her glare and her question, and instead slid a paper across the table. There was a figure highlighted in yellow and Regina sighed and shook her head. “Right, my mistake – I'd forgotten. Yes, I _did_ make a withdrawal from one account, to transfer funds to another. What about it?”

Graham slid over another paper that Regina recognized as a part of the town's fiscal budget. Scanning the figures, she realized that some money – which happened to be in the same amount as her transfer – had been moved and there was also a discrepancy in the total numbers.

“Okay, obviously that’s a problem, but what's it got to do with me?”

Graham produced another sheet, this time with a deposit into her account from a few days ago. Then another, with an additional discrepancy in the town's budget.

“You think I'm taking money from the town treasury and putting it in my own bank account? Are you _serious_? Do you _know_ how much my family is worth? You really believe that I – ”

“I didn't say I believed it. But out of the people with access to these funds, your bank account is the only one with unusual activity.”

“This is absurd!” Regina’s voice rose in exasperation. She pushed the papers back across the table. “I have nothing else to say. If this questioning is going to continue, I want my lawyer.”

“This is how you want to play it, Mayor?”

“I want my lawyer,” Regina repeated. “Unless I'm free to go?”

Graham gathered the papers and tamped them into a neat pile. “You can go – but don't leave town,” he warned.

Regina stalked out of the police station, fuming. She stopped short when she saw Emma leaning against the wall outside the main entrance.

“Hey,” she said. “You alright?”

“I'm fine,” Regina huffed. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. “It's just a mistake, all of it. I'm going to get it sorted out. It will be fine.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Emma asked, pushing her weight off the wall and coming closer to Regina. “I'd like to help you if I could.”

“It's fine,” Regina said again.

Emma smiled a little at that. “It's obviously not, but I won't press you.”

“No, it's just – it's something with the treasury. Somehow they think I'm responsible for it, which is absolutely ridiculous. I'm going to go back to the office and look over some things myself. I'll get this nonsense figured out.”

“Of course you will,” Emma said, she reached out as if to touch Regina but stuffed her hand in her pocket instead. “Well... you know where to find me. I'll see you later?”

Emma started to walk away and Regina called her back. “Emma! I –” Regina faltered for a moment. “Thank you. For, you know. For checking up on me. I do appreciate it.”

Emma's smile was broader this time. “Sure. And don't worry, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

Regina gave a quick nod and watched Emma walk off with a light step. Her smile had been warm, reassuring. Regina felt just a little bit better for it as she hurried off to her office.

 

***

 

Regina sat at the head of the mahogany table in the town hall’s meeting room and looked from one drawn, serious face to the next.

“This is preposterous,” she finally said.

“It's _very_ unfortunate, Mayor Mills,” Rupert Gold said, “But there really is nothing else we can do but move forward with the business of running Storybrooke without you – only until this situation is resolved, of course.” His smile was meant to be blandly comforting but there was a ripple in his expression and eyes that gave Regina the creeps. She tried to focus.

“Being under suspicion isn't the same thing as _actually_ being guilty,” Regina said to the members of the assembled town counsel. “That should go without saying. I've looked over the books myself. There are some discrepancies but I don't see how it escaped notice until now – and why this is happening now at all.” She looked at the town treasurer, Chris Zerrin. “How is it that any of this got past you?”

“It didn't,” Zerrin said coldly. “These changes were all made recently. I went over the books last month and saw none of this.”

Regina put her fingertips to her temple. “So, I'm out? Just like that? That's what you've all decided?”

“No, Mayor Mills. As the town charter states, there will be an interim appointee chosen by the council, who will serve until such time as you can resume your duties,” Gold’s voice held a silken lilt of satisfaction that set Regina’s teeth on edge.

“Right. And who would that be?” Regina asked, already sensing what the answer would be.

“That,” Gold said with the same creepy smile, tenting his fingers in front of himself on the table, “would be me, dearie.”

                                                         

***

 

Emma hadn't seen Granny so happy, well, ever, since she came to stay in town. She was downright cheery as Emma started her evening shift and the older lady's good mood was so unmistakable that Emma began to get annoyed as the night wore on.

“You _could_ look less happy about it,” Emma muttered as she picked up two plates of burgers and fries and added them to a tray in the kitchen.

“But why?” Granny asked with a tilt of her head.

“There's a word for this, you know.”

“Oh, I know. _Schadenfreude_. Shameful joy. Only there's no shame in it for me. Right, Rosco?”

The heretofore silent cook standing by the stove chuckled heartily. Emma rolled her eyes and hoisted up the tray.

The diner had been full of buzz about the Mayor for the last two hours. Emma overheard various rumors start off somewhat mildly and mutate into uglier and uglier accusations. She felt frustrated. There was no way what people were saying was true, but she didn't have enough of the facts to credibly correct anything.

Emma didn't sleep well that night and was in a foul mood the next morning. When she was making the diner ready for the morning rush, she decided to keep her mouth shut as she saw Granny devouring the morning edition of _The Storybrooke Mirror_. She was making good money, money that she needed – and it wouldn't be smart of her to pop off a sarcastic remark... but Emma couldn't keep herself from saying something.

“Anything worth reading in the paper this morning?” Emma asked oh-so-casually.

Granny grunted. “Your friend is in trouble. _Big_ trouble.”

“Oh, that. I doubt it.”

Granny peered over the tops of her half-glasses and fixed her sharp blue eyes on Emma. “Maybe you don't know the Mayor as well as you think you do.”

“Or, maybe she's not as evil as you and everyone else seem to think,” Emma shot back. “I'm going to go fill up the salt shakers,” she grumbled, walking away.

The rest of the day, Emma kept her head down and did her job, but she was antsy and on edge. Every time the bell above the door rang, she looked to see if it was Regina. It never was.

The atmosphere of the diner became more and more sober as the day wore on, with new and progressively uglier rumors flying around about what Regina had been doing with the missing money and where she had gotten it from. Emma was relieved when her shift was over and she could escape into her room. She took a shower and changed her clothes. She and Regina were supposed to be going on a date tonight, but she figured Regina had forgotten all about it. She wanted to drop by and say hello to Regina in any case, even if she wasn't up for going to dinner.

Emma ducked out of the side entrance of the bed and breakfast and got into the Bug. As she turned on her music, the song that was playing gave her an idea. She hopped back out of the car and ran into the florist's a few doors down the street, and picked out a small but bright bouquet of flowers. Getting back into her car, she drove toward the Mills residence and found it pretty easily. It was by far the biggest house on the street, if not in the town itself.

Emma approached the door with the flowers and rang the doorbell and waited. There was no response, and she rang again. The door swung open and Emma was a little startled at what she saw.

Regina had bedhead and a baggy purple sweater on, and Emma could see a small crease in her cheek where whatever Regina had been lying on left an imprint. Her face registered confusion and then recognition when she saw Emma and the flowers in her hand.

“I'm _so_ sorry,” Regina groaned and covered her mouth with one hand, horrified. “I forgot about our date!”

“I thought you might have.” Emma laughed. “I take it I woke you up?”

Regina smoothed down her hair self-consciously. “I was up most of the night trying to think, and going over files and bank statements and trying to make sense of this whole thing. I guess I just passed out. Please, come in,” she said, moving back to allow Emma to walk through the door. She took the proffered flowers from Emma's hand and smiled shyly. “Thank you. These are lovely.”

Emma looked around the foyer and the short staircase, around at the polished wooden floors and up toward the high ceiling. “Nice place,” she said to Regina.

“Thank you.”

“Well… I won't stay long. I just wanted to see how you were doing. I would have called first, but I don't have your private number and you're not in the book, so...”

“It's alright,” Regina said, leading the way into the living room. Emma saw a throw cover sprawled on the couch, messy pillows, and papers all over her coffee table. She could see Regina that was embarrassed as she quickly grabbed the blanket and neatened up a little. Emma thought of Regina waking her up in in the Bug and for just a moment considered the similarities of their respective situations.

Regina told Emma to sit down and excused herself to go put the flowers in a vase. Before she went, she offered Emma a drink which she declined. Obviously, Regina wouldn't want any company at the moment. Emma realized it had probably been a mistake to drop by unannounced, as if they were still going to dinner under these circumstances. She would make an excuse and beat a hasty retreat.

Regina returned and sat down near Emma on the couch. “Excuse the mess, please. With everything else that’s been going on, tidiness hasn't been at the top of my list.”

“It's cool. Sorry for just showing up.”

Regina waved a hand as if to say 'forget it,' and picked up another pile of papers and began sifting through them listlessly.

“So...” Emma said. “I've heard some things around the diner.”

“Oh yeah?” Regina's voice was distracted.

“Yeah, um... do you have an assistant or something? Someone who can get a statement out to the paper? There are some pretty crazy rumors flying around.”

Regina drew her eyes away from the paper she was studying and looked at Emma. “Like what?”

“Like, you've been stealing from the treasury to buy designer pantsuits.”

Regina gaped at her for a moment and then scoffed. “That’s just absurd!”

“They're saying your lifestyle... this house and everything... that you're using the town money to keep it up. But that's not what they're really the most upset about. I mean, from what I've heard so far.”

“Then what is?”

“It's that you supposedly did all this because you needed the money, but you've not shown people a lot of understanding when it comes to missed taxes, loans they couldn't pay back, and so on.” Emma looked down at her hands. “They say you always leaned on them hard. Granny talks about how you tried to foreclose on the B&B...”

Regina sighed. “I'm not surprised. I suppose it's easier for them to paint me as the villain than to take responsibility for themselves. We’ve talked about this, and why I did what I did. There was never any malicious intent.”

“I'm sure there wasn't. I'm sorry... I just thought you should know. It's not –” Emma broke off and tilted her head, listening. “Do you hear that?”

“No...?”

“Listen.”

They both sat still, waiting. The sound Emma heard was getting closer. Her eyes met Regina's and she could see that Regina heard it too. The sound was growing louder. Emma stood up and went to the window, peeping through the curtains.

“Um... Regina?”

“What? What do you see?”

“A mob.”

“A _what_?”

“With lit torches. Like, the fire kind, not the flashlight kind. We need to get out of here, now. Go grab your stuff.”

“ _Nobody_ is going to run me out of my home!” Regina shot to her feet. “I'm calling the police,” she muttered, grabbing an antique-looking phone from the receiver.

“You might not need to,” Emma said, squinting through the deepening twilight. “I'm pretty sure Sheriff Graham is with them.”

“This has to be some kind of joke,” Regina put the phone down.

“Definitely not a joke. He's coming up to the door now.”

Regina strode up to the door with Emma following right behind her, and she opened it before Graham got a chance to knock.

“Good evening, Sheriff. Mind telling me just what the hell is going on here?”

“Nice to see you, too, Mayor.”

Regina stood her ground and crossed her arms. “You've brought an angry mob, replete with flaming torches, to my _front door_.”

“Ah, no,” Graham said, “I just sort of saw them when I was down the block and figured I better get in their way to remind them that we are a town of _law_ and _order_ ,” he said, raising his voice on the last words and turning slightly so that the murmuring crowd could hear.

Emma had a fleeting thought to grab her phone so that she could get a picture of this crowd. There were a sizable number of them, but the fact that she was looking at an angry mob with actual torches was too much. She'd never seen such a thing, only read about it... in a storybook as a child. This town was strange. Very strange.

“I was coming here anyway,” Graham said. He pulled out an official looking paper and handed it to Regina. “I've got a search warrant here.”

Regina took the paper and scanned it while Emma glanced at it over her shoulder.

“This is unbelievable,” Regina fumed.

“A couple of deputies from Waterton are coming here to help me conduct the search and gather the evidence. They'll be here any minute.”

“Throw ‘er out like she tried to throw ME out!” A voice in the crowd hollered. A “ _throw her out_ ” chant began and Regina retreated inside with Graham in tow. Emma let out a yelp as a rock smashed through one of Regina's windows.

“Stay inside,” Graham ordered, ducking quickly back outside onto the porch. They could hear him admonishing the crowd and demanding to know who had thrown the rock.

“He can't control them,” Emma said. “We've got to get you out of here.”

Sheriff Graham came back in, red-faced. “You better evacuate the premises, Mayor. It's just not safe right now.”

“This is _ludicrous_ ,” Regina hissed. “You let a mob form outside of my home, they throw a rock through the window right under your nose, and you can't do anything about it but tell _me_ to leave _my_ home?” Regina asked bitterly.

“I can't keep a deputy posted here all night. You know how short the staff is – you're looking at him. Things will cool down, but for now, I think you better stay somewhere else tonight, Mayor,” Graham said.

“Can I at least go upstairs and get some things?”

“I'm afraid not. I can't let you remove anything that might be evidence, you see.” Graham shook his head apologetically. “I know it's not ideal, but I have a job to do.”

“What are they so mad about, anyway?” Emma asked.

“They think the Mayor stole the charity fund for the new children's wing of the hospital and spent it on herself.”

“That's a complete fabrication!” Regina exploded. “Who would _say_ such a thing?”

“I believe you, Regina,” Emma said, placing her hands on the other woman’s shoulders. “I know it's hard, but try not to let it get to you. It'll only make everything worse than it already is.”

Regina nodded reluctantly. “Thank you, Emma.”

With some pressure from the two women, Graham allowed Regina to take her purse and a coat and scarf from the front closet.

“I'll drive you wherever you want to go,” Emma said. “But first, we've got to get through this crowd. Just stay behind me,” Emma said to Regina.

To Graham, Emma asked, “Can we get an escort out to my car? Just to be safe.”

Emma put on her tough girl face and strode confidently with her head up, leading the way to her car. The crowd jeered and she rolled her eyes as they started a new chant: “ _Lock her up_!”

Emma got into the car and Regina ran around to the other side with Graham behind her, holding his arms out to keep the crowd at bay. Then a few of the rowdier people broke away from the mob and surrounded the car, and started trying to rock the Bug back and forth. Graham's shouts were drowned out by the yelling of the enraged townspeople. The backup deputies Graham had called in turned up at just the right moment and helped to break up the melée.

Emma turned over her engine and drove off as soon as space had been cleared away. She looked at Regina with wide eyes. “What the _hell_ was that?”

Regina ran a hand through her hair and clearly seemed to be trying to regain her composure. “No one ever said the people of Storybrooke were particularly smart. Trying to tip over a car this circular...” Regina looked Emma's way and for some reason when their eyes met, Regina began laughing. Emma found the sound of Regina’s gales of laughter infectious, and just a bit intoxicating, and she couldn’t help but join in.  

“And the lit torches,” Emma gasped out as she tried to catch her breath between giggles. “I think I saw a pitchfork, too.”

“Yes, well,” Regina drawled as her laughter subsided and she wiped away a mirthful tear. “It's a very _literal_ populace in Storybrooke, apparently.”

“Yeah, literal idiots,” Emma said, which set of another round of laughter for the two of them as the resilient yellow Bug chugged them down the street.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma drove Regina to the motel. A beady-eyed receptionist took one look at Regina and gleefully clapped a ‘no vacancies’ placard down on the desk in front of him, before pointedly going over to flip on the switch for the sign outside. Emma thought about taking her to Granny's, which she knew had available rooms, but she knew that would be a lost cause.

“Are you hungry?” Regina piped up.

“Actually, yeah. I haven't had dinner, you know,” Emma teased, glancing at Regina.

“I completely forgot to make the reservation at The Red Room, I’m sorry. But I'm not sure it's for the best that you be seen with me in public anyway. Who knows what might happen next?” Regina sighed as she stared out of the window.

“I've got a solution,” Emma said cheerfully, “One that’s gotten me through a lot of long nights on the road.”

Regina raised an eyebrow.

“Chicken King. There's one right there,” Emma said, grinning at Regina.

“I... see. I've never actually been there,” Regina admitted. “Is it any good?”

“It's hot, and we can take it to go, which is good enough for me.”

Regina insisted on paying, and handed Emma a debit card as they went through the drive-thru. It was declined. After Regina spluttered out a shocked “ _ What _ ?” and began taking out another card to try, Emma stopped her and fished her own wallet out from her jacket. She silently paid for their meal and gave Regina the bag, then drove off to a quieter spot close to the edge of town, and parked near a streetlight.

“I'm sorry, Regina.”

Regina sighed again. “It’s not your fault. That was just one more thing in a long list of things that have gone wrong for me lately.”

Emma switched on the car stereo and the sounds of her favorite mix cd filled the car as they split up the food and started to eat.

“What do you think?” Emma asked.

Regina took a dubious nibble at a french fry. “It's not bad.”

Emma laughed. “You've seriously never eaten fast food before?”

“Not since high school,” Regina said. “I probably haven’t had a soda in just as long, either.” She took a sip and promptly coughed. “It’s very sweet,” she said to Emma by way of an explanation.

“You're so cute,” Emma, smiled, and then laughed a little at Regina’s affronted look. “I bet you've never slept in a car before, either.”

“No, I can't say that I have,” Regina said cautiously.

“Well, your car is still in the shop... your cards seem to not be working, and I don't know where else in town where you can stay. So, unless you have another idea...”

Emma tried to keep a straight face at Regina's horror-struck expression. “It's not so bad. I’ve done it a lot.” Emma started to say something about how Regina had seemed to judge her over her circumstances the night they had met, but she felt that Regina was already aware of their reversal of fortune. Instead of saying any of that, Emma just took another bite of her sandwich.

They ate in silence for a minute before Emma ventured to ask, “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that everything happens for a reason, and that as soon as I get to the bottom of this, I will get my life back. I don't care what they accuse me of, or how many rocks they throw. I know that I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“So let’s try to figure it out. Who had access to the money?”

“Just myself and Chris Zerrin, the town treasurer. He's a hard one, but I trust him. It was probably someone on the council. Only Chris and I are supposed to have access to the files, but I suppose that someone who knew where to look wouldn't have that hard of a time getting to them. The money I moved from my bank account that someone flagged was me sending my sister a small top-up to hold her through her never-ending travels until her quarterly trust payment. She always needs more.”

Emma kept her expression neutral as she decided to tread on delicate territory. “No offense but... the amount of money they’re making all this commotion over doesn’t seem all that small. Is it possible your sister...?” Emma wondered.

“No.  _ No _ ! Zelena's not like that,” Regina shook her head. “Well, maybe she is, but I think embezzlement from abroad is a little beyond her capabilities.” 

Emma tossed her wrappers into the bag and dusted her hands off. “I want to help you. What can I do?”

“You've done enough. I mean, just being here for me is more than I've expected from anyone in a very long time. I’m used to dealing with things on my own,” Regina said with a slow thoughtfulness. “I never thought I needed anyone. But I'm glad I'm not alone right now.”

“Well, you tried to help me when no one else cared,” Emma said. “I appreciate that… even if you  _ did _ consider running me out of town,” she added in a teasing voice.

“I didn't!” Regina said. “I was honestly just worried about you. Everything has kind of been... upside down since you got here. In the best kind of way. My sister always tells me how boring I am, how predictable my life is. But things definitely haven't been predictable since the night you crashed your car into mine.”

Emma laughed. “I wish my life was ‘boring,’ as you call it. Still trying to get it all together at my age isn't really what I had envisioned for my life. There's nothing wrong with stability. I had that once, sort of... and I want it back.”

“No, Zelena was right, in a way. I pushed people away for the longest time. I just couldn't relate to anyone, I guess, and it was hard for me to trust people. It wasn't until I met you...” Regina cleared her throat. “That I, well, wanted to change that. I don't know why. Just something about you, I guess.”

“Wow,” Emma said in a softer tone. “I'm honored to hear you say that.” She turned slightly in her seat. “I don't think I’ve made it a secret that I'm interested in you.”

“Nor I, you,” Regina murmured.

“So what are we going to do about it?”

Emma was surprised, but very happy, when Regina leaned over and kissed her, tentatively at first, then more passionately.

They eventually pulled away and regarded each other.

“Sorry,” Regina said softly.

“For what?”

“My chicken breath.”

Emma laughed. “This is why I like you. You make me laugh.”

“Nobody but you ever laughs with me, so...”

“It's so crazy how we met like this. You have no idea how unhappy I've been. And how long I’ve been wanting to find someone like you.”

“I think I‘ve been looking for someone like you, too. I have been lonely but... I’ve just never wanted to settle.” Regina cupped Emma’s cheek briefly before letting her hand drop. “I figured I’d know what I was quietly seeking when I found it… and I think I have.”

Emma reached over and held Regina’s hand. They were quiet for a while, just listening to the changing music coming from the car’s somewhat tinny speakers.

“We're going to get you out of this,” Emma said.

“I believe you,” Regina said. “And then?”

“And then we move forward, and hopefully do all the things that we've been missing out on. We go on dates. We talk. We keep laughing together. Sound good?”

Regina smiled, in spite of everything, and it warmed Emma's heart to see. “Sounds perfect.”

  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Regina's eyes were burning as she blinked twice and sat up carefully, her mind registering where she was. She noted the smells of old leather upholstery, slightly stale fast food, and the quiet sounds of birdsong and another person’s slow breaths. She was way outside her comfort zone, but Regina found that she didn’t mind. The lovely, funny woman next to her let out a stuttering snore and Regina couldn’t help but laugh.

Emma stirred at the sound, frowning at first and squinting against the light, then smiling as she caught sight of Regina. 

“Good morning,” she yawned and stretched in the confines of the car. “Sleep well?”

“I’m a little stiff,” Regina said honestly. “But it’s fine. It was an adventure.”

Emma giggled sleepily. “That's one way of looking at it. If you liked it so much, I'll have to take you camping sometime.” Thinking better of that, she added, “In a wolf-free zone. You know, I forgot all about that wolf.”

“So did I,” Regina admitted. “It's funny how things that seem like they might be important later actually have very little meaning in the grand scheme of things.”

There was a pause before Emma agreed. “Yep.” She stretched again. “I've got work,” she said, rubbing an eye with the heel of her hand. “Do you feel safe to go home?”

Regina nodded. “Let's go.”

***

When they got to Regina's, Emma walked her to her door. “I won’t linger, but I want to have a look around.”

Regina couldn’t help but smile at Emma’s protectiveness as she watched her duck from room to room, checking to make sure everything was okay. She had to admit to herself that it felt nice to have someone in her life who wanted to look out for her.

When Emma was done scouting around they stood together in the foyer. “Well,” Regina said. “Thank you for everything, Emma.”

“No need to thank me. I'll see you tonight?” Emma smiled at Regina’s nod and then leaned in for a quick kiss before turning toward the door. “We’ll make a proper dinner tonight. I’ll pick up some stuff and bring it over, yeah?”

“I can’t wait,” Regina said with a smile. 

“Cool. Keep your head up,” Emma called over her shoulder as she headed out the door to her car.

Regina gave her a little wave and closed and locked the door behind her. She yawned and stretched like a cat. “What a night,” she murmured. She was stiff as a board, but it had actually been fun. Emma had made it so. Regina smiled to herself. She was happier than she had a right to be, all things considered, because Emma was in her life. She dropped her bag and her coat on a table in the foyer and went into the living room. Graham had vacuumed up the broken glass and patched up the broken window with some duct tape and plywood. That was nice of him, she supposed, but she still felt creepy knowing that he and the out-of-town deputies had been in her house, rifling through her things, looking for who knew what. She put in a call to Marco, a local contractor who she’d used before, to get her window fixed and change the locks, and was relieved that the handyman was willing to do both jobs that very day. At least her money was still good  _ some _ where in town.

She went and brushed her teeth and took a shower. After Regina had dressed, she changed the sheets on her bed, which inexplicably made her bedroom feel like hers again. A phone call to Zelena went unanswered, and Regina didn’t bother leaving a voicemail. She checked in with her lawyer, who had nothing useful to say, and told her to simply sit tight.

Regina flopped back on her bed and considered how sad it was that in the mess she was currently in, the only person in town she had to talk to was someone who hadn't even been there more than two weeks. Despite that, she was grateful.

Regina thought long and hard about what she could do to repair relationships with the townspeople, and if she should even bother. She’d kept people at arm’s length, but she didn’t realize that things had deteriorated to the point an angry mob would form outside her home. She still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it, but the only thing she could do now was try to fix it. She certainly wasn’t going to resign. 

Regina had a sudden idea and went down to her office and wrote a statement that she sent off to  _ The Storybrooke Mirror _ . She felt better for having written it – a firm denial and a promise that when the investigation was concluded, she wanted a better dialogue and more transparency with the people. She spoke to the paper's editor and he promised the statement would be on the front page of tomorrow's morning paper. It was something, at least.

Her doorbell rang and Regina went to get it warily, and was only somewhat relieved to see Gold at her door instead of another mob.

“Hello, Rupert,” Regina said. “How are you?”

He held out a bouquet with a smile. “I wanted to see how you were doing and assure you that things are just fine. I know you'll be back once all this unfortunate business is cleared up. Shouldn’t be too long now. I spoke with Sheriff Humbert this morning. He seems to think you’re not very happy with him at the moment, and you don’t look very pleased to see yours truly. But you can't really be upset with everyone doing their due diligence to protect the people of Storybrooke, can you?”

“Of course not. I  _ can _ be upset about rocks getting thrown through my window and my constituents chanting that they want me thrown in jail,” Regina said with a sigh, and then accepted the flowers. “Thank you, anyway, Rupert. It’s a thoughtful gesture. Did you want to come in?”

“I've got to get on,” Gold said. “I’m sure I’ll see you soon enough, dearie.” And just like that, he was turning on his heel and she heard the stunted clacking of his cane as he went down her walkway.

Regina closed the door with a frown, turning the flowers over in her hand. Rupert Gold wasn't one for this type of gesture, so its oddness was jarring. She didn't go to put the flowers in a vase of water, as she had with Emma’s yesterday; instead she tossed them carelessly onto a table in the foyer.

She found herself wanting to discuss Gold’s visit with Emma, who she was missing already. Knowing she couldn’t see her without visiting the diner and disrupting the other woman’s work, Regina decided to clean her house to pass the time waiting for Marco to come. Although she knew that she didn’t necessarily need to try and impress Emma, she wanted to put her best foot forward in preparation for their date tonight. 

***

Emma couldn't hear Regina's thoughts, of course, but her mind stayed on her all day as she went about her business. She finally had enough money to get her phone service restored and she made a mental note to take care of that on her break. She was running late for work and left her phone in her room once she got to Granny's and changed, before hurrying downstairs to the diner.

Granny's eyes studied Emma's every movement until finally, Emma turned to the woman and bluntly asked, “Do you have something to say, Granny?”

“Do  _ you _ ?” Granny countered.

“Yeah, actually. Regina is my friend. I'm not going to pile on this witch hunt or march on her house to throw rocks at her window,” Emma said, in a voice loud enough to be picked up by the customers filling in the diner for the morning rush. “I don't believe in condemning someone without proof, either. Anyone have a problem with that?”

“You may end up regretting it,” Granny warned.

“If I do, at least I can say I behaved in a way I can stand behind. Not everyone in this town can say the same. So if you want me to go, I'll go. I’ve appreciated the job, but I can find something else. In fact, I think I know just where I need to apply.” Emma untied her apron, folded it quickly, and put it on the counter. 

“Now wait a minute,” Granny started to say. “I never said that –”

“I know you didn’t,” Emma cut in. “It’s just suddenly become clear to me that I can’t work here anymore.Thanks for giving me a shot though, Granny. My room is paid up through the week, but I'll be leaving as soon as possible.”

Emma ran upstairs after looking back to see Granny watching her with her mouth slightly ajar. Emma smiled to herself. She’d bet her tips that Granny wasn’t expecting that at all. It was sudden, but Emma knew in her heart it was for the best. She didn’t want to work for Granny anymore, not after the way Granny had treated Regina last night.

Emma grabbed her phone and her jacket and set out, walking at a brisk pace to the police station. Graham looked up at her askance as she confidently walked in and looked around the office.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes,” Emma said simply. “You need a deputy, and I need a job. I think we need to talk.”

“Sorry, but if you’re trying to work an angle to help Regina...”

“Of course not,” Emma said firmly. “You're going to hire me because you need me. I was a bail bondswoman in Boston. I left that job with an excellent record and as many glowing recommendations you could need to see before you hire me.” She took a pen from Graham's desk and wrote a number down. “This is my old boss's number. He'll tell you everything you need to know about me. I'll be back on Monday to start.”

Graham blinked.

“You said yourself you were short-staffed,” Emma said sweetly. “We could go through an interview, you could pretend that you need to see a copy of my resumé and firearms training and think about it for a few days, but I like to cut to the chase, and I bet you do too, don’t you, Sheriff?”

The man had to smile at that.  “Sounds like I'll be seeing you Monday, then.”

“Monday,” Emma nodded.

***

Emma found a new place to stay in town easier than she expected, a cute little furnished loft downtown that was perfect for her needs. It helped that the rent was ridiculously low, but the owner was eager for a tenant in such a flat market and let Emma have the place for a very reasonable rent. Everything was falling into place. Now if she could just get this cloud of suspicion off of Regina...

She went and picked up some groceries to make dinner at Regina's and headed over there with a light heart, all things considered. Something about Storybrooke resonated with Emma. It was a crazy, impromptu decision to stay, but deep down she knew it was the right choice. This weird little town needed her. Regina needed her. And Emma needed to stop chasing a ghost.

When she knocked on Regina's door with a tote full of groceries, she felt even more that it was the right decision when she saw Regina's beautiful face break into a smile at the mere sight of her. Yes, Storybrooke was definitely where Emma belonged for now... and maybe for a long, long time.

“Hey,” Emma said, kissing Regina on the cheek as she came inside. “I brought dinner fixings.” Her eyes fell on the bouquet of flowers in the foyer. “Nice. From another admirer of yours?”

Regina shook her head with a little cringe. “From Gold, one of my advisors on the town counsel. He dropped by to reassure me that everything would be fine. A little annoying, even though he means well. It's not like he could know for a fact I would be back in my job soon, but he was talking like it.”

Emma frowned as Regina lead her into the kitchen. “I've heard some things about him from Granny – oh, and do I have something to tell you about her! But Granny made him seem... I don't know. Like a string-puller. Are you sure he can be trusted?”

“Gold's harmless, despite all appearances to the contrary,” Regina said. “Enough about him, anyway. I missed you today.”

“Me too,” Emma said, pulling Regina close and giving her a gentle but lingering kiss.

“Peppermint,” Regina said.

“I totally ate three mints before I knocked on your door.”

“I may or may not have checked my breath a couple times before you got here,” Regina confessed in turn.

“We're clearly made for each other.”

“Obviously.”

They kept their tone of voice light, but Emma could see in Regina's eyes that she meant it, and she hoped Regina could tell that the feeling was mutual.

***

The next morning, Emma was thinking over the events of the night before. It had been a quiet evening with Regina, where they both opened up and shared more about how they ended up where they were in life, and talked about what they were going to do about it. For the first time in a long time, Emma felt a measure of peace. She was... happy. It was almost too much to dare to believe.

She showered and dressed and got ready to report to the police station bright and early. She picked up her finally functional phone that she had forgotten to check last night to add Regina's number. She had a whole bunch of messages waiting, but there was one voicemail from last evening that took her aback.

A slow smile spread over Emma's face as she listened to the message to its completion and everything clicked into place. She grabbed the slip of paper Regina had given her the night before with her number written on it. With trembling fingers she took her phone from her pocket and dialled Regina's number.

“Hey,” Emma said when Regina picked up. “I have a question for you.When you went through the books, there were lump sums missing that couldn’t be accounted for, right?”

“Yes,” Regina said cautiously. “Money missing at random from different parts of the budget, at different times – but there is no way both I  _ and _ the treasurer could have missed it at the time. We were both going over the books each month and I never saw any money missing in the records. All these changes had to have been added later.”

“Right. Do you remember what those missing sums were, any of them?”

“Hang on,” Regina said, with a little excitement in her voice. “I have them written down here somewhere. I was looking for a pattern and trying to find the money elsewhere in the books. Emma? Are you on to something?”

“I think so. I’m going to quote you a number. You tell me if it’s on your list.” Emma recited a figure and waited, holding her breath for Regina to confirm what Emma suspected.

“Yes, it’s here. But Emma –”

“I’ll explain everything later, I promise. Get all your papers together and call Graham and meet me at the police station. I’ll be there soon. I’ve got one stop to make, first.”

***

Emma pushed open the door of Gold's antique shop and looked around as her eyes adjusted to the rather dark surroundings. It was dry and musty and smelled of old books. Emma's breathing automatically shallowed as she walked forward to the counter. Gold was nowhere in sight, so she rang the bell firmly and waited.

A slight man appeared from behind some shelves to her right and Emma forced a smile. “Hello.”

Taking his position behind the counter, Gold was the picture of solicitude as he asked, “How might I help you today?”

“I'm new in town – you might have seen me around?” Emma asked, holding her hand out for Gold to shake, which he did after a slight pause. 

“I don't believe I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance before now, Ms. Swan.”

“Of course you know my name. You know everything that goes on in town, don’t you, Mr. Gold?”

Gold placed his hand on his chest and with mock humility and a faintly sardonic smile. “I see my reputation has preceded me. Now, what can I do for you, Ms. Swan? I take it you’re into the vintage market, given your mode of transportation.”

“No, not today. Today I’m looking for something more current – some information about the recent events here in Storybrooke. There’s been a lot of changes, as I’m sure you’re aware,” Emma said with a little smile. “I’m glad I caught you here at the shop, by the by. I thought maybe you’d be busy doing… whatever it is interim mayors do.”

“It’s a light workload. And the weekends are my own. What was it you wanted to know?” Gold asked with a hint of impatience.

Emma placed her hands on the counter between them and leaned forward. “I’ll get right to the point, then. Where's Neal?”

The tiniest of shadows passed over Gold's face in an instant before he resumed a quizzical, bland expression. “I'm sorry. I don't know a Neal.”

Emma had seen her fair share of liars but the seamless recovery after being caught off guard, as he clearly was, impressed her.

“Come on, Mr. Gold. You do know your own son.”

“I'm afraid you've made a mis–”

“No, I haven't made a mistake,” Emma interrupted. “Neal was my best friend, my protector, even my mentor, you could say – until he screwed me over and I decided to get my own life together into something I could be proud of. It took me  _ years _ of work to find myself and gain some self-respect after falling in with your son and his shitty little cons.”  

Emma leaned back and stood up straight. “But, I did it. And then when he came slinking back into my life, I actually felt sorry for the guy. Like an idiot, I let him back in and he destroyed everything I had built without a single second thought.” Emma shook her head at the thought. “Without a hint of remorse. Like father, like son.”

Gold's face had gone paler than it already was. “I assure you, I never –”

Emma tilted her head and drummed her fingers on the display case. “It's what you do, isn’t it? When I first got here, I couldn't figure out why Regina was so hated. Sure, she can come off as a little bit of a snob, but she's not the cartoon villain people think she is. She's actually pretty kind when you get to know her. All the things people blame her for, they all point back to you. But no one realizes that you make all these things happen so you can come swooping in to fix it to make yourself look good.”

Gold stopped attempting to respond and simply watched Emma with cold eyes.

“One thing about Neal is that he gets really chatty when he's drunk,” Emma said, smiling at Gold. “Or maybe you don’t know.” She shrugged. “Anyway, one night he really opened up about you, for the first time. He told me his father lived in New England, on the coast, and that dear old dad was a master manipulator.”

“How interesting,” Gold said flatly

“It is! Especially considering how you've manipulated Regina and the people of this town for years – why, I don't know. Maybe you just like stirring the pot and pulling the strings. Does it make you feel powerful? I guess it doesn’t matter what your reasons were. It's all over now, but I'm kind of blown away at all of the years of  _ scheming  _ you put in,” Emma said with a smirk. “And you were finally able to put it all to use for something other than your own sick kicks.”

Emma was pacing slightly as she laid all this out, the thrill of good detective work energizing her as it always did.

“Neal  _ also _ told me why he never went back home – besides the obvious fact that he didn’t want to deal with you. He said the place his dad lived was creepy – like everyone there is switched off from the real world. I didn’t get what he meant then, but I do now. Almost everyone behaves so  _ literally _ , like they're acting out something they've read. It  _ is _ strange. I don't mind it, but he was right. It sticks out.”

Emma stopped her pacing and looked Gold in the eye. “I spent months looking for Neal in places I knew he loved, until I heard that he was in deep with some mobsters. The real ones, that will kill you if you don't pay up what you owe them. And I knew he would go home if he could, to a weird little seaside town, where he could rely on daddy to get him the money, or hide him, or whatever else he needed.”

“Even if this were true – and it isn’t, Ms. Swan – I doubt you could prove any of it. The drunken ramblings of this man don’t constitute the kind of evidence that would stand up in a court of law – if it came to that.” Gold’s eyes gleamed with a malevolent challenge as he spoke.

“You’d be right, only you were so detailed with your little plan that you trapped yourself.”

Gold raised an eyebrow and his bland smile faltered just a bit. 

“Your son stole my savings,” Emma said. “To pay off some debt, or to gamble it away looking for a payday, I don’t know or care. What I  _ do _ know is the amount, down to the dollar, that he took from me. Imagine my shock when I listened to my voicemails and heard I got a call from my bank in Boston last night, asking me to confirm the transfer to my account for that same amount from some weird shell company I've never heard of.”

“What a wonderful turn of fortune for you, Ms. Swan. Congratulations.”

“You can’t play this off, Gold. When you – or Neal – cooked the books to frame Regina, you added a discrepancy for the  _ exact _ amount that was stolen from me. You screwed up. It’s over.”

Gold did something that surprised Emma. He clapped his hands and gave her a courtly little bow. “You impress me, Ms. Swan.”

“Where is Neal?” Emma repeated, emphasizing every word. “In your back room, suffering from the attack of conscience that made him want to return my money?”

“Ms. Swan, you say you’ve heard of me in this town?”

“Oh, you bet I have.”

“Well then, maybe you’ve heard those that deal with me always get what they want… as long as I get what  _ I _ want. Why don’t we two make a deal?”

“Bargaining with your back against the wall?” Emma scoffed. “Now I know where Neal gets it from.”

“You got your money back. The rest I took from the town will be returned, from my own pocket, I assure you. No reason now to continue hunting my son or turn either of us in, is there?”

Emma shook her head, incredulous. “Wow. You’re something else, you know that?”

“Think what you want of me, but know that my word is my bond. I mean what I say. You have your money. I've gotten it all back, and given it to you.”

“You mean you  _ stole _ it all.” 

“My son needed the money fast, faster than I could raise it. He came to me asking for an amount that included not only what he...  _ borrowed _ from you, but what he needed to pay his other debts. You didn’t hear wrong. He owed some very dangerous men a lot of money.”

Emma crossed her arms. “You can try to explain it away but there’s no excuse for what you did to Regina.”

“Please, in the interest of fairness, hear me out before you make a decision on what to do next. Whether you take my deal or don’t.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Go on, then. Make the story a good one.”

“I've got many... investments. It's not always easy, or quick work, to untangle the money trails. So I did get into the treasury and get what I needed. I cooked the books, as you say, but it wasn’t supposed to be discovered so quickly – or at all, if it had gone how I’d planned. Yes, I let Regina take the fall –  _ temporarily _ . Just to keep suspicion away from me, and from Neal, should anyone as smart as you come along and put the pieces together. I had planned on putting all of it back except your sum – that, Neal specifically requested to be wired to you, as soon as I had it. I'll make sure the missing money is returned today, on two conditions: you let my son go free, and you leave me to my business, with my promise not to interfere with Regina and the mayor's office anymore. I will resign from the council after a discrete amount of time passes so as not to raise suspicion, and Graham, the treasurer, and Regina’s banker will all be led like lambs to a paper trail that will exonerate the mayor fully from these charges. Do we have a deal?”

“Why would I  _ ever _ trust you?” Emma demanded to know.

“Quite honestly, I think by now you realize better than even he does, that I would do  _ anything _ for my son.” Gold smiled faintly and shifted into a relaxed stance. 

Emma held his gaze for a long moment, and put out her hand as if to shake Gold’s, but then pulled it back. “I expect you as much work into repairing Regina's reputation with the good people of Storybrooke, as you did destroying it – or there's no deal.”

“Done.”

They shook on it and Emma pulled her hand away quickly from his cold one. She resisted the childish urge to wipe her hand off.

“By the way. Is Neal alright? Now that you've fixed this thing for him, there are no more bad guys are coming after him, right? Not that I should care,” Emma added in a mutter.

“The gentlemen he owed money to are satisfied with the payments received. Neal is safe. He's out of the game, as he calls it. He's gone, far from here. I'm even hoping he'll meet someone and settle down somewhere.”

Emma must have looked skeptical, because Gold added, “He's a changed man, I assure you.”

“I hope so,” Emma lifted her chin. “I hope he'll never do what he did to me, to anyone else ever again.”

Gold bowed his head a little and Emma turned on her heel and walked out quickly. She'd felt the tears trying to form, and she was  _ not _ going to let that man see her cry. When she shut the door behind her, it felt final, like a last goodbye to Neal, who was once the closest thing to family Emma had ever known. Oh, he'd done the right thing,  _ eventually _ , with a lot of other collateral damage to another innocent person. He would never learn. But Emma had. She had changed for the better, for good. There would be no looking back now.

She had a future. She had... something with Regina. She had a new job in a new place, and if there was one thing she knew how to do, it was start over. Start clean. Make things better. It's what she did, and what she'd always do.

She turned and walked with her head up toward the police station, where Regina was waiting for her.

***

“It's kind of surreal how all of this worked out,” Emma said. She slipped her hand into Regina's as they walked. “But I’m glad looking for Neal led me here.”

Regina smiled at her. “Well, now that I know about your previous line of work, I’d say you’re very good at finding people.”

“Yes... and the best part is finding you. That made everything else it took to get here worth it.” Emma slowed her steps and pulled Regina in close to her. “Even though it’s been hard, I'd do it all over again,” she murmured as their lips met.

Regina finally broke the kiss and searched Emma's eyes with a soft smile curving her lips. Then she looked away doubtfully. “I think...”

“What?” Emma's brow furrowed in confusion.

“Well,” Regina drawled, taking up Emma’s hand again and resuming their walk. “I'm just thinking of the greasy meals I endured at Granny's just so I could come in and have an excuse to see you every day. All those cups of substandard coffee... those interminable slices of thawed lasagna...”

Emma swatted at Regina's arm playfully. “Shut up.”

“You're an incredible woman and all, Emma, but that was a pretty steep price to pay just to get to know you.”

“I made that substandard coffee, you know.”

“Oh, I  _ do _ know. And then there was the night when I had to sleep in your Beetle and it was freezing and you tucked me under a blanket that inexplicably smelt of powdered sugar...”

“You had fun, though. Admit it, your life hasn’t been the same since I swerved my Bug into your Mercedes.”

“Actually, Ms. Swan, my life hasn’t been the same since I heard your first cheesy pick-up line,” Regina grinned, “and all the ones after that.”

“Well, they worked, didn’t they? Just wait until you hear what I have to say on the morning after.”

Regina threw her head back and laughed. The sound of it was just as intoxicating to Emma as the first time she’d heard it.

They walked off together hand in hand, passing through the intersection where they’d first met, their laughter echoing in the quiet streets of Storybrooke.

 

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to all the organizers of the Swan Queen Supernova 3. It was my pleasure to take part. Thank you for reading. :)


End file.
